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5 <br />these impact fees need to be substantial -- $1,000 is not close to what they <br />need. There are many concerned parents and teachers who want this impact fee <br />to be increased and the County Commissioners have their support if they want <br />to make this fee higher. They are willing to pay for the growth. A bond <br />referendum will probably be needed very soon. A number of things will need <br />to be done because of the numbers coming into the school system. <br />LISA STUCKEY, President of the PTA at Seawell Elementary School, made <br />reference to a letter she wrote expressing their concerns about overcrowding <br />in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro schools. They support increasing the impact fee <br />to $1,000 as a first step in addressing the problem of overcrowding. At <br />Seawell they have 701 children in a building designed for 500 and expanded to <br />hold 600. They anticipate a similar increase next year. She feels that the <br />community must begin to address the problem now and since funding for the <br />schools is primarily a County responsibility, they look to the County <br />Commissioners for leadership. They ask that the Board explore other options <br />including ways taxpayers living in the district can generate funds for the <br />schools. <br />MARY BATSMAN, resident of Chapel Hill for 8-1/2 years with three <br />children, said that she support an increase in the impact fee. <br />DAVID ADAMS, parent of two children with a wife who is a substitute <br />teacher, presented data that demonstrates the magnitude of the development <br />problem and the capacity problem. He presented slides which are in the <br />permanent agenda file. He pointed out that the nature of development has <br />changed dramatically in this area. He showed the number of units which have <br />already been approved with some under construction. There are 44 projects in <br />Chapel Hill and 13 in Carrboro with 16 developments in his school district. <br />He noted that many of the children are out of school continuously with health <br />problems which is not a function or caused by the overcrowding but it doesn't <br />help. He showed the capacity projections out to 2004 for each school system. <br />The elementary schools will be overcapacity for the foreseeable future. He <br />feels this is a major problem. He said he supports the impact fee and asked <br />that the Board make it a substantial increase. <br />MATTHEW BARYON, parent of one child in school, made reference to the <br />technical report used in 1993 developed for the basis of the original impact <br />fee. S.O.S. has analyzed the report and he presented information on overhead <br />slides. He presented a spreadsheet they developed to duplicate the <br />calculations done in the technical report. He focused on what has changed <br />since the report was written. He presented bargraphs showing the state <br />average building cost per square foot for building a new school in 1993 was <br />$68.00. In 1995, the state Department of Public Instruction projects this <br />figure to reach $88.00 per square foot or 25o increase in 2 years. The second <br />graph showed the number of students brought into town per 100 new units of <br />residential housing. In the technical report, the 1990 census data was used <br />which included all residents and showed 30 students per 100 units. The Town <br />of Carrboro just did a survey and developed a figure of 68 students per 100 <br />dwelling units. S.O.S. has done a survey of four more developments which <br />indicate 100 students per 100 dwelling units. The third graph showed the <br />number of schools needed but not funded at the time the technical report was <br />